Abstract

Respondents evaluated the services provided by their own sector by indicating whether they agreed with statements pertaining to the significance of municipal services to citizens' equality, the effectiveness of municipal services compared to private ones, the management, competitive tendering and privatization of municipal services. Some questions focused on the respondent's present job: its physical and mental stressfulness, changes in working pace, present work load, wage level, characteristics of the job and career prospects. They were also asked whether they could participate in the decision-making concerning their own job, how well informed they were of the planned or decided changes in it, did they received support from the management or fellow employees and what was their attitude towards client feedback and demands.

The survey analysed the municipal working environment with the help of various statements. Workplace conflicts and the ways of dealing with them were studied. Respondents were asked about their relations with their superiors and about the characteristics and methods of the managers. Some questions covered work motivation and productivity. Respondents were asked how effective they thought various methods for improving work motivation were, which methods were already in use at their workplace, whether it was possible for them to keep up with their work and how probable it was that they would be rewarded for outstanding work and how. Respondents rated the importance of various aspect of their job (e.g. promotion prospects, security of the job, wage level).

Respondents evaluated the managers of their own sector with the help of paired concepts (for example enterprising vs. obstructing, co-operative vs. creates conflicts). Respondents assessed how significant certain factors causing productivity problems were in their community and how well or badly arranged the services and activities of their own sector were. Respondents' views on the activities of their trade union and shop steward (workers' representative) and the basis of wage determination were also surveyed.

Background variables included the municipality where the respondent works, the respondent's workplace, job, gender, year of birth, trade union membership, nature of the employment contract (e.g. temporary, permanent), whether it was a part-time or full-time job and whether the respondent held a managerial position.